Thousands of Flights Are Canceled as Storm Slams Northeast Airports
#Flight Cancellations #Northeast Storm #Airports #Airlines #Travel Waivers #Weather Disruption #Kennedy Airport #Logan Airport
📌 Key Takeaways
- Over 5,500 flights canceled across the US due to a powerful Northeast storm
- Major airports in New York and Boston saw 90-98% of flights canceled
- Airlines suspended operations but expect gradual resumption starting Monday
- Major carriers issued travel waivers and allowed fee-free rebooking and refunds
📖 Full Retelling
A powerful winter storm pummeled the Northeast United States on February 23, 2026, causing airlines to suspend operations and cancel more than 5,500 flights at major airports including Kennedy, Newark, and Boston Logan, as the region faced severe weather conditions that brought air traffic to a crawl. According to FlightAware, the cancellations affected approximately one in five U.S. flights nationwide, with cancellation rates reaching 90-98% at major Northeast hubs. LaGuardia Airport in New York saw the highest disruption with 98% of flights canceled, while Kennedy and Newark airports reported similar figures. The storm's impact was particularly severe for regional carrier Republic Airways, which had to cancel over 870 flights—nearly 80% of its schedule. JetBlue Airways, with its heavy concentration in the Northeast, canceled about 80% of its flights, while major carriers like American, Delta, and United each canceled approximately one-fifth of their scheduled operations. The nation's largest airlines implemented contingency plans, with American Airlines announcing gradual resumption of flights beginning at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington and Philadelphia on Monday, followed by New York and Boston airports by Tuesday afternoon. In response to the crisis, major carriers including United, Delta, JetBlue, American, and Southwest issued travel waivers allowing passengers to rebook without fees, while Department of Transportation regulations ensured refunds for those who chose not to travel. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey advised passengers against traveling to airports unless they had confirmed flights, and suspended AirTrain service, replacing it with shuttle buses.
🏷️ Themes
Severe Weather, Air Travel Disruption, Emergency Response
📚 Related People & Topics
Airport
Facility with a runway for aircraft
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface such as a runway for a plane to take off and to land or a helipad, a...
Airline
Company that provides air transport services for passengers and freight
An airline is a company that provides a regular service of air transportation for passengers or freight (cargo). Airlines use aircraft to supply these services. Many passenger airlines also carry cargo in the belly of their aircraft, while dedicated cargo airlines focus solely on freight transport.
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Original Source
Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Supported by SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Thousands of Flights Are Canceled as Storm Slams Northeast Airports Airlines suspended operations at some major airports and expect to restart some flights on Monday and more on Tuesday. Listen to this article · 3:21 min Learn more Share full article 0 By Niraj Chokshi and Ceylan Yeğinsu Feb. 23, 2026 Updated 12:01 p.m. ET The powerful storm pummeling the Northeast was bringing traffic to airports in the region to a crawl, especially around New York City and Boston. More than 5,500 flights scheduled for Monday have been canceled in and out of U.S. airports, with nearly all arrivals and departures suspended out of major hubs in the Northeast, according to FlightAware . The cancellations affected about one in five U.S. flights, according to Cirium, an aviation data firm. On a typical day, about 1 percent of domestic flights are canceled. About 90 percent of flights were canceled out of Kennedy Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport, according to FlightAware. At LaGuardia Airport in New York, 98 percent were canceled. Nationwide, more than 3,400 flights had been canceled on Sunday. About half as many flights scheduled for Tuesday had been canceled by late Monday morning, but the number was rising. Airlines had closely tracked the storm last week, but began canceling flights in large numbers in recent days as the severity of forecasts worsened rapidly . The nation’s largest airlines — American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines — suspended operations altogether at some major airports. American said on Monday that it expected to restart flights at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington in the morning and out of Philadelphia in the afternoon or evening. The airline said it would restart operations in Boston and New York by Tuesday afternoon. Republic Airways, which operates regional flights for American, Delta and United, wa...
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